Rolls-Royce Confirms Cullinan Name for SUV

Inspired by a diamond

Inspired by a diamond

Rolls-Royce has been talking about making a “high-bodied car,” aka SUV, since 2015. Now, the automaker says “the wait is almost over” and confirms the model will bear the name Cullinan.

Starting with the Dawn convertible, Rolls-Royce has been introducing vehicles with less ominous names than Ghost, Phantom, and Wraith. During the development process, Rolls-Royce dubbed the SUV Project Cullinan. The name comes from the Cullinan Diamond, the largest flawless diamond ever discovered.

“From the searing deserts of Africa and the Middle East to the freezing snows of the Arctic Circle; from the grassy glens of the Scottish Highlands to the towering canyons of North America, the designers, engineers, craftspeople and artisans of the House of Rolls-Royce have shaped, tested and polished this unique motor car to eliminate any flaw,” Rolls-Royce said in a statement. The model is expected to have all-terrain capabilities that will help it compete with the Bentley Bentayga.

The Cullinan will use the same aluminum-intensive platform that underpins the new Phantom. Eventually, all Rolls-Royce cars will sit on this new architecture. The Cullinan is also likely to borrow the 6.6-liter twin-turbo V-12 from the Phantom, although output could vary from the sedan’s 563 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque.